Bedding support



P. c. HousHZKM Oct. 21, 1952 BEDDING SUPPORT Filed May 19, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

Pau C- Houqhom Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Calif.

Application May 19, 1950, Serial No. 162,990

4 Claims. 1

The device of the present invention is related to that class of equipment which is used in the therapeutic arts, but has particular reference to mechanical means adapted to relieve a patient, convalescent, or other person of nervousness due in Whole or part to the imposed weight of bedding either when confined in bed as a matter of necessity, or merely for a nights rest.

Aside from the sick and convalescent in hos"- pitals, sanitoriums, etc., there are a great many people, who, being inordinately sensitive to the weight of bedding upon them, and with many, this is especially so with respect to the fact, be come nervous andirritable and as a result there' of, do not sleep well, a condition which has won general recognition by the more recent devel opment of light weight bedding having the same or greater capacity for retaining body heat than is possible by the use of old style blankets and comforters, accordingly, and in view thereof, the following enumerated statements may be considered as being among the objects, features, and advantages of the invention.

(1) To provide a novel means adapted to be detachably supported upon a bed to hold bedding in whole or part away from the body of the user.

(2) To provide a novel, light wei'ght device adapted to be supported upon and by the mattress cf a bed so as to hold bedding from contact with the feet, yet maintaining such bedding draped over the sides of the bed, as a means of physical comfort for the user.

(3) To provide a novel, lightweight device of the character contemplated which is unobtrusive when attached to a bed in non-functional use po sition.

(4) To provide a novel and lightweight device of the character contemplated which can be moved from a position of dis-use to a position for functional use by the feet of the user.

(5) To provide a new and improved bedding support which is adapted to form the structural frame for a tent adapted to use in the admin istration of oxygen or other therapeutic gas'or vapor. V g

(6) To provide a novel, lightweight bedding support based upon an adjustable clamping structure whereby the device may be attached and/or detached with equal facility upon mattresses of variable thickness and width for functional use.

(7) To provide a new and improved means to secure the bow of a bedding support in either raised or functional use position, or folded in non-use position.

(8) In general, to provide a novel, light-weight, low cost, and easily used device for the purposes aforementioned.

The preceding and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention may be noted from a study of the accompanying drawing, the detailed description thereof, and the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a utility view showing a bed equipped with the device of this invention, the illustration shows the bedding support located at the foot of the bed in position to hold the bed covers in clearance of the feet of a user.

Figure 2 is a view partially in section showing the manner in which the bedding support is clamped upon a mattress, and its functional use position with respect thereto; and,

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views of the lower half portion of the mattress clamp, showing it in topplan, side-elevation, and in end elevation respectively; and,

Figures 6, 7 and 8 in their respective order are similar views of the upper half-portion of the mattress clamp.

Figure 9 is an end-elevational view of the bedding support as seen along line 9--9, Figure 2.

Figure 10 is an elevational view of the outer face of the bow support showing the flared re-- cess in which the bow is positioned when in normal functional use position; and,

Figure 11 is a sectional view thereof as seen along line H! 1, Figure 10, the View being adapted to show the application of a spring to the bow as a means for holding it in vertical position, and is further illustrative of the manner in which the legs of the bow move convergingly of one another in being shifted from elevated to lowered position.

Figure 12 is a detail showing a portion of the bow and its leg in adjustable and in detachable relationship with one another by reason of detent engagement of the parts; and,

Figure 13 is a transverse sectional view asseen along line l3l3, Figure 12, showing the parts in disengaged relationship.

Figure 14 is a similar view in which the bow of the bedding support has been rotated through degrees to effect detent engagement between a lip upon the bow with one of the concentric grooves in the leg portion of the assembly.

In the drawing the reference numeral IO indicates the bedding support of this invention which is adapted to find functional use and application when installed upon a. conventional mattress 12 of a bed [4.

The device I includes an adjustable mattress clamp which is formed of L-shaped upper and lower half-portions l8 and 20. As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the part is formed with a horizontally disposed face plate 22 which is adapted to lie in contact with the lower side of the mattress I2, and which is bent through 90 degrees to form an erect or vertical end plate 24 which is adapted to lie against the sides of the mattress, and is folded along its vertical edges to form lips 26 which convergingly over-hang the outer face thereof so as to provide retaining means for the upper half-portion ii! of the clamp when assembled. The plate 24 is also formed with a plural number of medially positioned slots 24a extending therethrough, the purpose of which will be hereinafter set forth.

The part I 8 of the clamp is formed with a horizontally disposed face plate 28 which is adapted to lie in contact with the upper side of the mattress I2, and is likewise bent through 90 degrees to provide a dependent end plate 39 which is adapted to be slidably and adjustably positioned upon the outer face of the part 24 and within the slots 26a formed by the lips aforementioned.

The dependent plates 36, upon their outer face, are provided with fingers 32 having one end fixedly secured thereto so that the whole thereof lies in contact with the support plate 38, but

is so arranged that the free end 32a may be sprung outwardly therefrom when desired. The fingers 32 which are relatively long and narrow are folded inter-mediately of their length to form inwardly disposed and upwardly inclined tongues 34 which extend through an accommodation slot 36a in the plate at and are adapted upon final assembly to extend through a selected one of the slots 24a in the vertical end plate 24 for retention therein by reason of its hooked engagement therewith under the outwardly expanding pressure of the mattress upon which the assembly is installed, and in this connection it is to be noted that the plural number of slots 24a permits installation of the clamp upon mattresses of varied thickness.

The bedding support bow 36 comprises an arched tubular member 31 which is adjustably positioned between the vertically disposed legs 33, each of which is formed with outwardly directed and horizontally disposed end portions 38a which are swivelled in the blocks 4% based upon and secured to the plate 28 by such fastening means as screws 42 extending upwardly through the plate 28 substantially as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11.

Reference has been made to the fact that the tubular bow member 3'! is adjustably attached to the legs 38. Figures l2, l3 and 14 are illustrative of a preferred construction for this purpose. The legs 33 are formed of rod material having a flattened top surface 38b, and a plural number of concentric grooves 380 of such depth that the bottom or root of each thereof is tangential to the surface 332). The tubular bow 37 is formed with an indentation 37a, the extruded lip of which is adapted to engage one of the concentric grooves 380 for holding purposes, and this assembly is effected by aligning the indentation 31a of the bow to lie above the flattened surface 38b of the legs and then sliding the bow and the legs together in telescopic union. After the bow and legs have been adjusted to meet the width requirement of the bed, the knurled portion 310 of the bow is grasped and is rotated through an are not in excess of degrees so as to cause the lip of the indentation to rest within the desired groove 380.

The interlocked relationship thus effected between the several component parts of the bow assembly is such as to enable it to be easily and quickly adjusted for width requirements, as well as for the general purpose of assembly and disassembly. It is also to be noted that arched nature of the part 3'! enables it to bear up under a very considerable weight of bedding without tending to sag, that it is neat and pleasing in appearance, and that there are no protruding edges to catch and snag bedding draped thereover.

Each of the blocks 40 are formed with hori-' zontally disposed bores 44 and 46 of differentiated diameter and length, and of which bores, the bore 44 is closely proportioned, diametrically, to the diameter of the leg portion 38a to provide for easy rotational movement therein. The bore 44 terminates in the bore 46 which is of greater diameter and of greater length than the bore 44 and is adapted to receive a spring 48 which encircles the horizontal leg portion 38a, and has one end in abutment with the inner end wall 46a of the bore 46 and has its other end in abutment with a nut 50 threadedly screwed upon the free end of the leg portion 38a. In the present embodiment of the invention, the nut 50 is of circular section to fit within the bore 46 in the manner of a disc, and is provided with recesses in its outer face for application of a spanner wrench for threaded adjustment with respect to the part 38a.

Each of the blocks 40 are formed upon their inner end face with a vertically disposed groove 52 which is intersected by the outer end of the bore 44, and which groove is formed with sides which are slightly flared and have rounded corners 54 to break or diminish the force of movement when the legs 38 of the bow move from a horizontal position as shown at 36a in Figure 9, to mated position within the grooves 52, and to facilitate retraction of the parts 3811 from within the bores 44 and 46 when moving from the vertical to the horizontal.

In practice, I assemble the bow 36 with the block 40 pre-assembled upon the half-clamp 28, that is, the leg portions 38a are inserted through the bores 44 and 46 and through the spring 48 to receive the nut 50 threaded thereon, and with the legs 38 resting deeply in the grooves 52 of the blocks, as shown in Figures 2, 10 and 11. To install the bedding support as a unit upon a bed it is now only necessary to first slide the clamp unit 20 under the mattress until the face plate 24 bears firmly against the side thereof. The assembly comprising the clamp plates 28 with the bow attached, is now joined to the clamp portion 20 by sliding the face plate 30 downwardly through the slots 26a formed by the lips 26, so that the plates 30 now lie across and against the plates 24. To facilitate this assembly, the tongue 34 may be sprung outwardly, as indicated by the dotted lines 32b, in clearance of the top edge 24a of the plate 24. After such clearance, the tongue is released to enter a slot 24a which most nearly satisfies the requirement of bringing the plates 22 and 28 into firm contact with the top and bottom sides of the mattress by compression thereof upon or at the time of attaching the clamps so that they will remain securely positioned thereon.

The bow can now be manually swung to and from the vertical, and in so moving, the legs 38 slide in a cam-like action over the rounded corners 54 of the block. It is to be noted that in moving the bow from the vertical to the horizontal, the free ends 38a of the legs of the bow are partially drawn through through the bores 44 and 46 so that the nuts 50 compress the springs in proportion to the movement thereof, and that it is the degree of such resistance to compression which serves to hold the bow in raised position under the Weight of bed-clothes draped thereover.

With the bedding support bow in horizontal position 36a, the bed may be made up in the usual manner, and when so made it will be found that the appearance of the bed is that of complete normalcy, and that the presence of the bedding support as a unit is not apparent, for it is in fact, a compact and unobtrusive unit during periods of dis-use.

When one is ready to retire, the bow may be hand grasped and swung to vertical position, or after one is in bed, the bow may be raised by the feet, which position upon being attained enables the spring 48 to react and draw the bow ends 38a inwardly of the blocks 40 for retention within the grooves 52 by its pressure, until the bow is again swung to horizontal position by manual effort.

In connection with the drawing, which shows the bow as being so proportioned as to clear the mattress in a degree sufficiently great to hold the bedding from the feet of a user, but insufiiciently so for oxygen tent, or other kindred use purposes, I desire to point out that the matter of the length of the legs 38 to raise the bow sufliciently for tent purposes, and other matters which relate directly to dimensions of length, proportion and degree, are matters of but simple variation which clearly fall within the province and spirit of the invention.

, Therefore, having thus described my invention in its presently preferred form, that which I believe to be novel and for which I seek Letters Patent, is as follows:

I claim:

1. The combination with a mattress having bedding thereon, of a device for support of said bedding in partial clearance of one end of said mattress, said device comprising a bow positioned intermediate the ends of said mattress and the bed clothes thereon and extending there-across, a pair of angle plates in inter-locked union upon 6 each side of said mattress and adapted to be detachably engaged therewith, and swivel means upon an upper plate of each of the pair thereof, said swivel means being so constructed and arranged as to support'said bow for rotational movement to and from a functional use position.

2. A beddin support device comprising in combination with a mattress, a bow adapted to be arched across the width of said mattress, a clamp upon each side of the mattress in detachabl engagement therewith and upon which said bow is rotatable, said clamps comprising paired angle plates upon the upper and lower surface of each side of the mattress and being held in detachable engagement with one another thereon by pin and slot connection, and bearing block means upon an upper plate of each of the pairs of said angle plates for swivelled mounting of said bow so as to enable rotational movement thereof to be had to and from a vertical functional use position across said mattress.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, wherein, said bearing blocks are formed with vertically disposed recesses within which leg portions of said bow are adapted to nest when in vertical functional use position.

4. The structure defined in claim 2, wherein,

said bearing blocks are formed with vertically disposed slots in the most adjacent faces thereof and are further formed with longitudinally aligned bores of different diameters receiving the ends of said bow therethrough, certain of said bores serving to journal said bow and others of said bores being adapted to house resilient means in pressure contact with the ends of said bow so as to retain the bow in said vertically disposed slots when in a vertical functional use position against lateral pressure.

PAUL C. HOUGI-IAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Australia Aug. 22, 1940 

